calibrate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
calibrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
calibrated,
past participle, past
-
calibrating
present participle
-
to determine, check, or rectify the graduation of (any instrument giving quantitative measurements).
-
to divide or mark with gradations, graduations, or other indexes of degree, quantity, etc., as on a thermometer, measuring cup, or the like.
-
to determine the correct range for (an artillery gun, mortar, etc.) by observing where the fired projectile hits.
-
to plan or devise (something) carefully so as to have a precise use, application, appeal, etc..
a sales strategy calibrated to rich investors.
verb
-
to measure the calibre of (a gun, mortar, etc)
-
to mark (the scale of a measuring instrument) so that readings can be made in appropriate units
-
to determine the accuracy of (a measuring instrument, etc)
-
to determine or check the range and accuracy of (a piece of artillery)
-
To check, adjust, or standardize a measuring instrument, usually by comparing it with an accepted model.
-
To measure the diameter of the inside of a tube.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
calibraternoun
-
calibrationnoun
-
calibratornoun
-
recalibrateverb (used with or without object)
-
uncalibratedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
calibratesimple
-
calibratessimple
-
have calibratedperfect
-
has calibratedperfect
-
am calibratingprogressive
-
are calibratingprogressive
-
is calibratingprogressive
-
have been calibratingperfect progressive
-
has been calibratingperfect progressive
Past
-
calibratedsimple
-
had calibratedperfect
-
was calibratingprogressive
-
were calibratingprogressive
-
had been calibratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of calibrate
Explanation
The word calibrate means making precise measurement. For example, you might want to calibrate your bathroom scale now and then to be sure it’s adjusted for exact weight. Or calibrate it to read five pounds light. We won't tell. To find the origin of calibrate, we must look at its root, caliber, which appeared in the late 15th-century Middle French as calibre, meaning "a degree of importance." Linguists trace that word to an Arabic beginning, the word qalib, which referred to a mold for making bullets. That meaning seems to have carried over to our word, the verb calibrate, which first meant to measure the range of a projectile such as a bullet or shell.
Vocabulary lists containing calibrate
The Fault in Our Stars
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Leap," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Juice's journey to Jupiter provides only a few opportunities to calibrate and validate the instruments under well-understood environmental conditions," explains Juice project scientist Claire Vallat, who led the effort.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
It’s a decidedly unique production, as the 74-minute opera requires that performers and musicians calibrate the score and vocals to preexisting work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“For advisers, the goal is to help calibrate a client’s confidence so that they’re more intentional, to establish clarity and understanding of taking this level of risk and why they’re doing it.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
"In Switzerland, we can find engineers to design, work and assemble the machines, but we lack the expertise to test and calibrate them," Bonvin told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
It’s true that every writer must calibrate the degree of specialization in her language against her best guess of the audience’s familiarity with the topic.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
China calibrates its cooperation on counternarcotics in response to the overall U.S. relationship, said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a counternarcotics expert at the Brookings Institution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025
The cartoon well calibrates its PG thrills to give kids a mild case of the shivers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025
He carefully calibrates his criticisms of Mr Putin.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2024
A poised and appealing performer, Nagle calibrates the story’s tonal shifts capably, while also capturing Jean’s energy and acing the humor.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2023
Such a number calibrates crudely what humans know.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Islamabad confirmed "planned and calibrated" strikes in Afghanistan, without detailing locations, which it said targeted militants.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were "deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate, and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Recent attacks also seem calibrated to target the facilities’ most expensive and most difficult-to-replace components, making repairs take even longer, Mitrova said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
It was a statement perfectly calibrated the next day in newspapers and local news broadcasts.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
But everything—the temperature in the labs, the humidity, even the lighting—was carefully calibrated and controlled.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
Ms. Musgraves has a limited voice in terms of technical ability, but she’s good at calibrating her phrasing to match a song’s mood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
“We see very high demand for our compute products, we’re working hard to meet demand and we’re constantly calibrating and assessing what it will do to the total available market in the future,” Feng said.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 25, 2026
Ed Yardeni, founder and president of Yardeni Research, suggested the readings indicate how investors are calibrating the economic impact of the Persian Gulf conflict.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
By uncovering these previously hidden dynamics, the findings reshape how scientists think about testing and calibrating superconducting quantum processors.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 20, 2026
Warriors were now in place from every world where Lord Asriel’s rebellion had supporters; mechanics and artificers were fueling aircraft, loading weapons, and calibrating sights and measures.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
